Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, USA.
Community and Family Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Aug 8;19(15):9740. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19159740.
The southern region of the United States, often referred to as the Deep South, is disproportionately affected by HIV. In fact, the highest rates of new HIV infections occur in the Deep South. Approximately one in five new HIV infections are among youth. Youth living with HIV (YLWH) have several behavioral health risks, including co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders, which negatively affect medication adherence, contribute to less engagement in HIV care, and result in poor health outcomes. Research suggests that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) contribute to HIV risk behaviors and that people living with HIV may be more vulnerable to the negative health outcomes and adverse effects of stressors. Using existing program evaluation data, we examined data from 41 YLWH aged 17-24 screened for ACEs in an integrated care setting. Most participants were Black/African American young men who identified as homosexual, bisexual, or questioning, and who acquired HIV behaviorally. Approximately, one-third of YLWH screened positive or in the high-risk range on an ACEs screener. Scores fell in the intermediate range for nearly half of the sample. Results did not reveal a significant relationship between ACEs and HIV biological indicators. In this paper, we describe these findings and the importance of incorporating trauma-informed approaches into HIV prevention and treatment programs targeting youth in the Deep South.
美国南部地区，通常被称为深南地区，受 HIV 的影响不成比例。事实上，HIV 新感染率最高的地区就在深南地区。大约五分之一的新 HIV 感染发生在年轻人中。感染 HIV 的青年（YLWH）存在多种行为健康风险，包括同时存在的心理健康和药物滥用障碍，这会对药物依从性产生负面影响，导致较少参与 HIV 护理，并导致健康状况不佳。研究表明，不良的童年经历（ACEs）会导致 HIV 风险行为，并且 HIV 感染者可能更容易受到负面健康结果和压力源的不利影响。利用现有的项目评估数据，我们研究了在综合护理环境中接受 ACEs 筛查的 41 名年龄在 17-24 岁的 YLWH 的数据。大多数参与者是黑人/非裔美国青年男性，他们认同同性恋、双性恋或正在探索性取向，且是通过性行为感染 HIV 的。大约三分之一的 YLWH 在 ACEs 筛查中呈阳性或处于高风险范围。近一半的样本得分处于中等范围。结果并未显示 ACEs 与 HIV 生物学指标之间存在显著关系。在本文中，我们描述了这些发现，以及在针对深南地区青年的 HIV 预防和治疗计划中纳入创伤知情方法的重要性。
